Dubai: Smart Dubai, the government office mandated with overseeing Dubai’s citywide smart transformation, on Tuesday unveiled guidelines for the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The new ‘Ethical AI Toolkit,’ which provides advice to individuals and organisations offering AI services, encourages organisations that deliver AI services to place a priority on fairness, transparency and accountability.
“There is an understanding by governments, NGOs and the private sector that AI regulation is needed, but that the field is not yet mature enough to devise fixed rules to govern it. However, organisations still require guidance and regulators still need to begin to learn how to oversee this emerging technology, but without creating restrictions that could stifle innovation. Smart Dubai’s Ethical AI Toolkit aims to provide advice in this area for all those involved in the AI sector,” she added Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General of Smart Dubai.
As part of the toolkit, Smart Dubai has also launched a city-government endorsed AI Ethics Self-Assessment Tool, which has been built to enable AI developers and operators evaluate the ethical level of their AI systems, if implemented using Smart Dubai’s AI Ethical Principles and Guidelines, according to a statement released on Tuesday.
The toolkit was created using a benchmarking exercise and a consultation approach, the statement said. Government sector entities, such as the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Dubai Electronic Security Centre, Dubai Health Authority, the Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and Dubai Land Department, were consulted during the initial feedback gathering, as were private sector companies including Microsoft, IBM, Google, Etisalat and PWC.
Smart Dubai said it is actively encouraging ongoing critiquing from across the AI community in relation to the guidelines. This feedback, combined with Smart Dubai’s research, aims to help iterate the Ethical AI Toolkit so that its framework and guidance keeps pace with technological advancements.
Smart Dubai says it wants to start discussions between different stakeholders in Dubai around AI ethics and for all components in the city’s technology ecosystem to work together to achieve a unified approach and reach common agreement on becoming more responsible on the use and development of AI systems.
“By fusing data and innovation we’re preparing Dubai to become the AI city of the future. Artificial Intelligence will streamline day-to-day work life by providing fast and easy access to a wealth of data-driven information. Its consequences will be far-reaching and will impact every area of life, so creating guidelines for AI operatives is essential to provide an ethical underpinning to this evolution,” said Younus Al Nasser, Assistant Director General, Smart Dubai and CEO, Smart Dubai Data.
